1. Field
Exemplary embodiments relate to an oxide semiconductor, an oxide semiconductor thin film, and a thin film transistor including the same, and, more particularly, to an oxide semiconductor including zinc and tin, an oxide semiconductor thin film including zinc and tin, and a thin film transistor including the same.
2. Discussion
Oxide semiconductors typically exhibit greater electron mobility than amorphous silicon semiconductors. To this end, low temperature processes are usually easier to perform with oxide semiconductors than with polycrystalline silicon semiconductors. In addition, oxide semiconductors are generally transparent with respect to visible light, and, as such, numerous electronic devices, such as thin film transistors, utilize oxide semiconductors.
Indium (In) ions in various oxide semiconductors, such as, for example, indium oxide (In2O3) semiconductors, zinc indium oxide (Zn—In—O) semiconductors, indium gallium oxide (In—Ga—O) semiconductors, indium zinc oxide (In—Zn—O) semiconductors, indium gallium zinc oxide (In—Ga—Zn—O) semiconductors, etc., typically exhibit an electron distribution in the outermost and 5s orbital that are considered to influence (e.g., increase) electron mobility of such oxide semiconductors. It is noted, however, that since oxide semiconductors typically use rare earth metals (e.g., indium (In)), the cost of oxide semiconductors including indium is relatively higher than other forms of semiconductors.
Zinc tin oxide (Zn—Sn—O) semiconductors use tin (Sn), which is relatively abundant on the earth, and, as such, typically cost less than oxide semiconductors including rare earth metals. To this end, Zn—Sn—O semiconductors may exhibit better reliability than oxide semiconductors including indium. It is noted, however, that Zn—Sn—O semiconductors may exhibit lower electron mobility than oxide semiconductors including indium. Therefore, a need exists for Zn—Sn—O semiconductors with higher electron mobility.
The above information disclosed in this Background section is only for enhancement of understanding of the background of the inventive concept, and, therefore, it may contain information that does not form the prior art that is already known in this country to a person of ordinary skill in the art.